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The Second World War, 1939-45Because Ayr was further away from bombing than some places, it was used a lot by soldiers waiting to go to fight in Europe. Prestwick airport and other airfields nearby were used to bring more planes from America and to teach pilots to fly. The Firth of Clyde was full of cargo ships and warships, again bringing supplies from the USA and Canada or protecting the cargo ships as they crossed the Atlantic, being hunted by German submarines. Various FPs have reported war-time memories. One, Jimmy Fairlie, has notes on the Commandos who used to stay in Mill Street, and the sad accident that happened to the local Ayrshire soldiers' horses. First, the Commandos - "If it wasn't evacuees it was soldiers that were billeted wth you and in Mill Street, it was Commandos, Duke of Wellington to be precise. Most of them were enormous to us and everybody else, as the bulk of them had been recruited from the "Guards", and they were well over 6 feet. We got used to seeing them return caked in mud from one scheme or another, on a quick "visit" abroad to Norway or France. They were great fun to have around and made themselves at home to all and sundry, especially at parties, and New Year was something else. My aunt had two or three of them to stay. She didn't care as they were always bringing in tins or packages to supplement the rations, and in particular if they were in a scheme up in the Carrick Hills (they never used the main roads) or crossing the River Doon, they would just accidentally drop a few grenades in in the river, and the occupants in Mill Street would be living high that week on salmon. Quite a few returned to marry girls in the street, but we were sad to read that quite a number of them had lost their lives at Anzio in Italy, and I believe the Duke of Wellington lost his life also in this action." (Jim Fairlie, 1935-41). Jim Fairlie also contributed memories of the Ayrshire soldiers' horses. Amazingly, at the start of a huge war fought with tanks, guns and bombers, the British Army still kept horses to go into battle. Some other European countries did too, and they were usually defeated pretty quickly by Germany's tanks. The Germans did use horses for pulling wagons, to save petrol. In Ayr, a lot of the horses died as the result of an accident. "The Army's horses - Sadly, it was in our time (at Holmston) that the Ayrshire Yeomanry 'lost' their horses. They were billeted in the Dam Park and it used to be a sight in Ayr to go down to the sands at the beginning of the War to see them on their training exercises. However one day they were in a panic (it was said a train whistle caused it) and they charged out of the Park, over the bridge, and from there out of the town up Holmston Road and Castlehill Road, and outwards. All the ex-jockeys in the town were recruited to get them back. Some horses even managed to get into the town and a few shop windows were knocked in. It took them days to get the horses back, and most were in a very sorry state. Crowds used to stand on the River Walk behind the Hospital, watching them being examined and in most cases being put down, and it was shortly afterwards that the Yeomanry was mechanised. Myself and some pals had a grandstand view from the top of a wall at the foot of the Mill Brae, shortly after school, of the horses escaping." (Jim Fairlie, 1935-41).
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